DAHLIA
CHAPTER FIVE

Dahlia's hair flowed around her with the wind that gusted past as her feet landed softly onto the gravel. Instantly, the fresh smell of pine and leaves filled her nose, the wind brushing softly against her skin. It whistled and whispered in her ear, making the voices of the people around her hard to hear, but she didn't mind. The cold autumn wind that had Dahlia shivering ever so slightly was no bother to her, too enchanted and bewildered by her surroundings.

Every tree stood tall, every shop on the street was filled to the brim, and the people that walked along the pathways or into stores were a relaxing sight for Dahlia. Their happy smiles while being surrounded by friends or family brought tingles of joy to her cheeks as they puffed into a smile, and jolts of electricity pulsing through her veins in excitement and nervousness all at once. Her eyes jumped from person to person as they walked past her or across the street, their voices and laughter filling her ears like the most majestic music she had ever heard. Everything was perfect.

Dahlia looked around, absorbing everything in sight. More and more goosebumps covered her skin, and she wondered whether they were out of coldness or happiness to finally be in a town again. As her eyes landed on a street sign that said GREENDALE, a wider grin covered her face. No, she hadn't known where Greendale was– she had never heard of it. But physically seeing and reading that she was somewhere, anywhere, that wasn't her djinn bottle or Hell, brought her a kind of joy she hadn't felt in a long time.

Right now, her life was devoid of magic and demons and Hell and the burden she had carried and she wanted to savour every second of it. She wanted to hear every sound– from the birds, and the wind and the people. She wanted to see everyone and everything from the smallest ant to the tallest tree. She wanted to pay attention to the little things she had taken for granted years ago in her old village.

Greendale reminded Dahlia of her village. From the fraction of Greendale she had already seen, she could tell it was small. But even so, everyone was happy. They were content with their little shops that lined the street, and the big amount of green nature that took up most of the city. It was much like Arkala, Dahlia's village before it had turned to ash and dust.

Taking in a shaky breath, Dahlia stepped past the rose bush she landed behind. Feeling like she had just stepped past the final barrier preventing her from feeling human, butterflies filled her stomach and what felt like fireworks erupted in her chest. She began walking, her eyes lighting up at everything she passed, from bushes to a girl walking a dog, cafes, shops... Everything was beautiful in her eyes, from the dark, cloudy sky and the tall intimidating trees to the happy groups of people walking past her.

Enjoying being outside so much, Dahlia was hardly bothered or confused by the weird looks people gave her as she walked past them. She was indifferent to their odd behaviour and slight unkindness, refusing to allow it to ruin her mood. But, as she further progressed through the town, her eyes were slowly being more and more drawn away from her surroundings, losing their brightness as she focused more on the teenagers she made eye contact with. Every single one she passed eyed her up and down, as though they could tell she wasn't human. It made her heart race and her palms sweat, leaving her anxious and wondering what was setting her apart from everyone else.

When she wiped her clammy hands on the sides of her clothes, her eyebrows raised at the feeling of velvet. She glanced down, taking in her otherworldly, ancient clothing, before turning around to see what everyone else was wearing.

"Oh," she mouthed in realization of how out of place she looked. Despite her dress awkwardly isolating her from everyone else in Greendale, Dahlia hadn't blushed in embarrassment or looked at the floor in shame. She merely shrugged and smiled, too grateful to be in the presence of real people and the real world to be upset by a little mishap that could easily be solved.

Quickly, Dahlia walked between the exterior walls of two shops next to each other to hide. She scanned the area cautiously to make sure no one was around before waving her hand in front of her with her fingertips facing herself and sparkly purple smoke sparked from her fingers. The small lavender puff of air swirled around Dahlia, growing after every three-hundred-and-sixty degree rotation around her until every inch of her body was being circled by it. Dahlia smiled, her eyes closed as she felt the cool air circulate around her.

Soon, the smoke began to contract until it was completely gone. Once it had fully vanished, still with a grin on her face, Dahlia looked down at her clothes once again, her smile widening to find her thousand-year-old dress replaced with what she noticed everyone else to be wearing: jeans, a white top, and a black leather jacket.

She stepped out of the small alley before continuing her stroll through Greendale. Her eyes darted between all the little shops, from gift shops, to a clothing shop that had similar clothes to the style she was wearing, and to the several coffee shops and restaurants. Eager to enter and see all of them, she created a mental list of all the stores and places she wanted to visit. She was instantly drawn to one named Cerberus Books, the name appealing to her instantly because for all the years she had been trapped in her bottle, the only thing keeping her company were the few books she read over and over again. Seeing the book shop, Dahlia wanted more than anything to read a new book. She walked toward the entrance, but before she let herself walk up the steps to enter, she halted in her tracks. She instantly recognized the familiar platinum blonde hair and the black headband.

A pang of guilt struck Dahlia's chest as she saw the blonde's exhausted face and dirty clothes. Sabrina was seated at the table by the window Dahlia was looking through, and the boy Sabrina had been with at the carnival was at the counter of the shop, ordering food or drinks.

Dahlia remained hidden at the end of the window and continued watching Sabrina as memories of King Herod and Sabrina begging for help replayed in her head. Dahlia wished she could have helped the blonde, but she was glad to see that she and her boyfriend were okay.

Dahlia sighed, staring down at her fingers in shame before an idea sparked in her brain and a soft smile crossed her face. She closed her eyes and waved her right hand, motioning at the patch of grass outside of Cerberus Books, right in front of the window Sabrina was seated at. The magical lavender smoke twirled in a small circle in front of her, and soon, the ball of magic was replaced by the purple of a dahlia flower. It bloomed tall and beautiful before Sabrina's window, each petal standing bright and strong like a plea for forgiveness. Dahlia hoped deeply that Sabrina could find it in her heart to forgive her.

Sabrina's attention was instantly diverted from the book in her hand to the pretty lilac flower that had randomly bloomed, and the helpless djinn that stood sheepishly behind it. Confusion took over her body as she glanced at the flower. She was mesmerized by its beauty and the fact that the djinn before her had made it, as what Sabrina thought was a peace offering.

Sabrina looked between Dahlia and the flower she grew, hesitation pulsating through her body as she contemplated forgiving the girl. She didn't want to hold Dahlia accountable for Caliban's actions. Whatever deal she had with him, Sabrina assumed it was Dahlia's only choice. She wondered if there was a way she could help the brunette.

Sabrina gave a gentle smile through the window before standing up, but as soon as she did, Dahlia's eyes widened and she backed away. Sabrina frowned, confused by the girl's actions.

Dahlia, with her heart rate increasing rapidly, continued to back away from the window. So ashamed of what Caliban had done and the fact that she was partially responsible, Dahlia didn't know how she could face Sabrina. So, she ran. Away from the cafe, and away from the girl who she thought and hoped could have been a great friend to her.

The second she began running, her heart filled with regret. She wondered if she should have at least stopped to talk to Sabrina, to apologize to her and her friend or boyfriend, but all Dahlia could think to do was escape. The same way she constantly tried to run away from the guilt that haunted her from millions of years ago, she ran away from this. The guilt and shame she felt for helping Caliban blindside Sabrina was something Dahlia didn't think the blonde could ever forgive her for, but by the gentle smile Sabrina gave her, Dahlia wondered if she had made a mistake running away.

Dahlia stopped her jog, bending over with her hands on her knees to keep her up as she tried to catch her breath. She stood upright again and turned around, contemplating going back to Sabrina. To properly apologize to her, to explain herself, and maybe make a friend... if Sabrina would have her.

But as if on cue, she heard a familiar voice playing in her head.

Dread filled Dahlia's body as Caliban's words echoed quietly through her head, "Voco te..." Dahlia caught a glimpse of red, and her eyes immediately darted to her feet where she saw the fire from the pits of Hell begin to swirl around her ankles and legs and climb up her entire body. She sighed and closed her eyes, not bothering to fight it. She was helpless against Caliban, and she knew it, so she let the fire engulf her, taking over her.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself back in Hell, both literally and figuratively. Caliban stood in front of her, his signature smug smirk plastered across his face, as though waiting for Dahlia to say something snarky or witty. But she said nothing.

"What? No insult? No complaints about me summoning you back?" He questioned sarcastically. Dahlia didn't reply. Caliban frowned, his lips curling down. If Dahlia hadn't known any better, she would think he was just almost concerned.

Confused by Dahlia's silence, he walked closer to her, filling the large space between them in the hallway of the palace. He wouldn't say he was worried, but curious and very slightly concerned was perhaps a better way to describe it. If anything, there was a very faint weight in his chest at the sight of Dahlia so depressed– he knew it was his fault. "Come on, you know you missed me." He laughed lightly, trying to lift the mood and hoping to get some kind of reaction from Dahlia. However, her shoulders remained slumped and she just turned around, beginning a slow walk to her chamber.

"You're not going to put up a fight?" He called, frowning and scanning the girl from top to bottom as she walked away, overcome by confusion.

Between her loneliness, guilt for what she'd done to Sabrina, and her anger toward Caliban, Dahlia was too tired to fight.

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→ note

poor dahlia :((

anyways i hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

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